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The aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between the operating parameters of electric vehicles (EVs) and parameters related to road conditions. The data for analysis came from urban driving trips conducted at different times of day. The average energy consumption was the dependent variable in the model. The following parameters were used as independent variables: the stopping time;; the journey time; the average speed; the quartiles of speed, acceleration, and deceleration, and their maximum values; the number of braking; stops; and the acceleration time and regenerative braking. A multiple linear regression model was developed to predict the average energy demand of an EV based on its kinematic parameters. The proposed model enables the analysis of the influence of various factors related to the route and driving style of the driver on the average energy consumption in the vehicle.

This paper provides an analysis of the values of safety distance between the two moving vehicles, based on the parameters of the behaviour of young drivers. The main objective of this research was to determine the driver's response time for braking manoeuvre (BRT) in car-following situations. The test results were used to verify certain recommendations for the vehicle driving parameters, the principles of driver's performance to increase road traffic safety, etc. The driver's response times, determined during the testing in the simulator, were used to assess the recommended values of the safe following distance under different road conditions and various ways of driver behaviour. In the paper, for different values of BRT a safety distance in emergency traffic situations was determined.

Traffic conditions are constantly changing when driving in urban areas. Depending on the hour the vehicle is moving, the drive is more or less smooth. The aim of this study is to determine how the traffic conditions affect the energy consumption of an electric vehicle. Simulations carried out in AVL Cruise software, based on real-world testing, were used to determine this issue. The methodology for conducting the research and performing the simulations is also described. The energy consumption of the vehicle, on each route and during the hours studied, was compared to each other based on the results from the simulation software. The results of the study showed that the influence of traffic conditions on the vehicle energy consumption is significant. Simulations have shown that the need for numerous stops and driving at low speeds requires increased energy consumption.

Selected structures intended to absorb impact energy have been analysed in respect of their use in the rear underrun protective devices (RUPD) of motor trucks. The main purpose of the RUPD is to prevent a passenger car from running under the rear of a motor truck provided with such a device. From the point of view of the safety of the car occupants, it is important to take into account the components whose additional role would be to absorb a part of the impact energy so that the loads on the said occupants were minimised. This article presents experimental test results concerning selected energy-absorbing structures. Based on quasi-static strength tests, simplified material models were defined. As a result of experimental crash tests, the possible applications of selected energy absorbers to the RUPDs as their components accountable for the passive safety of passenger cars were indicated. Absorbers proposed in this paper can be considered effective energy-absorbing structures, e.g., in the case of the central impact of a medium-class car with a speed of about 40 km/h. They are relatively inexpensive in production and easily implementable to motor trucks, even taking into account some limitations related to the type-approval regulations on the European market.

The partial recovery of kinetic energy during braking allows the vehicle’s battery to be additionally charged and thus extends the range of an electric vehicle. Because of the different operating strategies of the braking energy recovery system, it is important to understand the factors influencing the level of recovered energy. The driving conditions at the place of use have a direct impact on the energy efficiency of an electric vehicle. The purpose of this paper was to analyze the energy recovered during braking in different driving conditions. The tests were based on the parameters of actual trips made along urban and suburban routes, and express roads. The collected actual speed profiles were used for the simulation studies. AVL cruise vehicle simulation software was used in the study. Simulation tests revealed that the levels of energy recovered during braking in an electric vehicle were the highest in urban conditions. The amount of energy recovered during urban driving can account for 20% of the total trip energy. In driving conditions characterized by different intensities caused by trips at different times of the day, similar values of recovered energy were recorded. When driving in the afternoon hours, the level of recovered energy per 1 km was about 2% lower than when driving in rush hour conditions. From the results presented in this paper, it can be concluded that driving conditions have an impact on the level of recovered energy. The type of road on which the electric vehicle drives is particularly important.

The safety of road users is one of the priority issues raised by those involved in vehicle design, latest passive and active safety systems, traffic organization or driver education. Nowadays, an important road safety problem is the behaviour of drivers in emergency situations. In order to measurably estimate the driving quality, parameters such as velocity, acceleration, the way and frequency of using the control pedals are quite often used. This article describes how to assess driver's behaviour based on measurements taken on the road. The frequency of different acceleration ranges during the vehicle drive was determined based on the results obtained. For the arbitrarily adopted acceleration range of - 0.5 - 0.5 m/s2, the driver's working time was over 77 percent on average, with the difference varying significantly between different route sections. Similarly, the study compares the driving times for other ranges of acceleration.

This paper provides a description of driver testing in a simulator. As young drivers are more susceptible to collisions, this was done to determine how young drivers behaved in simulated road situations on a motorway. One of the traffic safety concerns is the failure to keep a proper distance from the vehicle in front, which may result in a rearend collision. The tests simulated car-following situations in which the preceding vehicle performed emergency braking. The experiments were conducted for two scenario variants using different distances from the vehicle in front. The drivers could perform the following emergency manoeuvres: braking with steering away or only braking. The driver response times were compared and analysed statistically. The results were used to determine the emergency manoeuvres performed by the drivers in the simulated road situations. The study reveals that the vehicle surroundings may have a considerable influence on the type of emergency manoeuvres and the driver response time.

Driver behavior is one of the most relevant factors affecting road safety. Many traffic situations require a driver to be able to recognize possible danger. In numerous works, aggressive driving is understood as unsafe and as a hazard entailing the risk of potential crashes. However, traffic safety is not the only thing affected by a vehicle operator’s driving style. A driver’s behavior also impacts the operating costs of a vehicle and the emission of environmental air pollutants. This is confirmed by numerous works devoted to the examination of the effect of driving style on fuel economy and air pollution. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of aggressive driving on fuel consumption and emission of air pollutants. The simulation was carried out based on real velocity profiles collected in real-world tests under urban and motorway driving conditions. The results of simulations confirm that an aggressive driving style causes a significant increase in both fuel consumption and emission of air pollutants. This is particularly apparent in urban test cycles, where an aggressive driving style results in higher average fuel consumption and in pollutant emissions as much as 30% to 40% above the average compared to calm driving.

Examining the competitiveness of public transport plays an important role because through public transport, the transport of passengers to schools, public healthcare establishments and work is ensured. In addition, transportation for vulnerable groups of passengers (students, seniors) is provided. On the other hand, public transport constitutes a financial burden on public budgets. The aim of this paper is to point out that public transport does not have an equal status in the transport market within the European Union. In the states of Central and Eastern Europe, public transport had a dominant position in the transport market in the 90s. Nowadays, the market share is declining, particularly in the bus transport, with the rising costs for public budgets regarding an increase in individual motoring. The aim of this paper is to highlight the possibilities of increasing the competitiveness of public transport by integrating different components of public transport. Another aim is to define the possibilities of financing public transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]